This is a joint application of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA, the Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases of China to provide research training in gene-environment interaction in chronic diseases across the lifespan in China in response to Program Announcement: Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan: Fogarty International Research Training Award (NCD-LIFESPAN) (D43). Most chronic, non-communicable diseases and disorders are likely determined by genetic predisposition, environmental exposure and their interactions. This multidisciplinary training program is built on the long- standing collaboration in chronic disease research between the US and Chinese participating institutes and aims to strengthen capacity for gene-environment interaction research in chronic diseases in China. The specific aims are: (1) to establish a unique, interdisciplinary program for graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees at the Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), with a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary research training designed to study genetic variation, environmental exposure, and their interactions in chronic diseases in China. After the first year of course work at PUMC in China, the trainees will take advanced courses in genetics, statistics, epidemiology and clinical research methods, as well as gain experience in population or laboratory research, during their second year at Tulane University in the US. The trainees will conduct their dissertation research in China under co-mentorship from faculty at PUMC and Tulane. They will receive their doctoral degrees from PUMC; (2) To provide multidisciplinary postdoctoral research training in gene- environment interaction for junior researchers and clinicians in order to expand their research directions in chronic diseases. We will recruit geneticists and train them with the knowledge and skills for epidemiologic and clinical research and recruit epidemiologists and clinical researchers and train them with the knowledge and skills for genomic research at Tulane University for 6 months; (3) to initiate a Summer Institute in Gene- Environment Interaction in China and offer short courses in Biostatistics, Epidemiological Methods, Clinical Research Methods, Human Molecular Genetics, Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology, and Chronic Disease Epidemiology. We will widely publicize this summer institute and make the course materials available online to a wide audience in China; and 4) To organize a special session in Gene-Environment Interaction at the China Heart Congress to promote research in gene-environment interaction. This program takes the train the trainer approach, and graduates from this program will play a leadership role in building research and training capacity in gene-environment interaction in chronic diseases in China. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Research Training in Gene-Environment Interaction in China is a collaborative research training program proposed by the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA, the Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and the National Center for Cardiovascular Disease of China. This multidisciplinary training program aims to build capacity for future genomic, epidemiological, and clinical research and training in chronic diseases in China and to strengthen partnerships between the US and Chinese investigators by training the leaders and the next generation of scientists in gene-environment interaction research.